Hayao Miyazaki, the master animator who’s often referred to as the “Walt Disney of Japan,” says The Wind Rises, which opens in Arkansas today, will be his last film.

If so, our Philip Martin says, it’s a worthy benediction to one of the most interesting filmographies of the past 30 years. Also, Iranian auteur Asghar Farhadi’s critically acclaimed The Past is opening — our Piers Marchant sat down with the director at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. (Martin reviews the film on his blood, dirt & angels blog.)

In other new movies, Liam Neeson displays a particular set of skills in Non-Stop — Dan Lybarger reports. And the greatest story ever told gets re-told in Son of God. Then there’s the Russian-made Stalingrad and the horror film Repentance — neither of which screened in time for our deadlines. Finally, in her Home Movies column, Karen Martin reviews Gravity, the front-runner for this year’s Best Picture Oscar, among others.